Senior Visiting Research Fellow – Legal Priorities Project

Summary

We are looking for Senior Visiting Research Fellows to join the Legal Priorities Project for a fixed period of 3–12 months and take on a research project inspired by legal longtermism or our research agenda. As a Senior Visiting Research Fellow, you will be part of a team of researchers committed to tackling some of the world’s most pressing problems. In doing so, you will help us establish "legal priorities research" as an academic field. Your research will inform policymakers and litigators working on protecting the well-being of future generations and reducing existential risks.

We welcome applications from different levels of seniority (with at least a PhD in a relevant field or with equivalent qualifications, such as a JD or an LLM with extensive research experience). This includes postdoctoral, assistant professor, associate professor, or full professor level applicants. We also welcome applicants who currently hold an academic appointment elsewhere and wish to keep it during their visit, as well as applicants from outside of academia. Finally, this Visiting Fellowship is also open to researchers who are new to longtermism and wish to learn more about its applications in law.

There is no application deadline—you can apply anytime. We will evaluate applications on a rolling basis.

About the fellowship

As a Senior Visiting Research Fellow, you will carry out research on legal longtermism, which may be inspired by the questions outlined in our research agenda. However, you will have significant freedom to pursue new research avenues relevant to the protection of future generations and the mitigation of existential risks. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with our teammates and benefit from LPP’s wide network of researchers at other universities and organizations.

You will get first-hand experience working in a global, mission-driven, and ambitious research organization with intellectual freedom and minimal bureaucratic hurdles. You will receive all the operational support you need to focus your energy on research, such as excellent editing and proofreading support. We collaborate closely with top universities worldwide, policy think tanks, and other research organizations. Your research will help inform the decisions of key stakeholders within LPP and elsewhere. You can choose to work on your own project individually or collaborate with other teammates at LPP.

About you

The Senior Visiting Research Fellowship might be a great option for you if you:

Have an excellent publication track record (commensurate with your career stage): You have at least a PhD in a relevant field of expertise or equivalent qualifications, such as a JD or an LLP, plus extensive research experience. Ideally, you have produced excellent academic research relevant to our research agenda or in a related field.
Are familiar with longtermism or are excited to engage with it deeply: We use the lens of longtermism to guide our research priorities.
Work well in teams: You collaborate well with others in a team and are happy to provide and receive constructive feedback.
Communicate effectively: You can explain complex ideas in simple terms to a wide range of audiences, both orally and in writing.
Are mission-driven: You are passionate about LPP's goals and care first and foremost about doing good.

If our culture resonates with you and you think that you can add to it, we would love to hear from you.

About LPP

LPP began with a small group of students at Harvard Law School who were motivated to do the most good with their law careers. What started as an idea in 2018 turned into a global organization with affiliates at top law schools, a comprehensive academic research agenda, multiple publications on legal longtermism, and strong connections with leading organizations in academia, the effective altruism community, and policy. These include Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, Strathmore University, OpenAI, the Centre for the Governance of AI, and the United Nations, among others.

At LPP, you will enjoy:

Working together with highly motivated people who care primarily about doing good with their careers.
An intellectually stimulating work environment with minimal bureaucratic barriers.
Valuable connections that can open the door to future positions, collaborations, or funding opportunities.

If you would like to get to know us better before applying, get in touch by emailing careers@legalpriorities.org or joining our office hours.

Salary and location

The fellowship is full-time, but we can consider a lower quota. Fellows are eligible to receive compensation for the time they spend with us, especially if they do not receive funding from their home institution, with significant room for negotiation. If salary is a barrier to applying, let us know—we are happy to accommodate your needs.

Our team is remote, so candidates can apply and work from anywhere in the world. Most of our teammates are based in the Americas and Europe. We host 2–4 in-person team meetings per year, which fellows can join.

Application process

If you think you might be a good fit for the fellowship but are unsure whether you should apply, we strongly encourage you to simply do so—we have done our best to make the application process as simple and time-efficient as possible. The application process consists of three stages:

Stage 1: Please complete this simple application form. The form asks you a few simple questions, plus the following documents:
- Your CV (including a list of publications);
- A previous research sample (published as a paper, report, book chapter, etc.), ideally no longer than 20 pages;
- A research proposal that may be inspired by our research agenda. It should be at most 750 words long (excluding references). The topic you choose will not necessarily be the topic you will be working on during your visit. You can also submit more than one proposal, but the combined total length should still be under 750 words, excluding references.
We will review applications on a rolling basis and aim to send you a decision within two weeks. If you need a faster decision, simply let us know through the application form.
Stage 2: If your stage 1 application is successful, we will invite you to an online interview.
Stage 3: Depending on the result of the first interview, we may schedule additional online interviews.

We are open to considering applicants who wish to start as soon as possible and as late as 12 months from when they apply.

We especially encourage applications from women, gender minorities, and people of color. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact careers@legalpriorities.org. We very much look forward to receiving your application!

Apply now